The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-25

surrendered. To effect this purpose resort was
now had to Cancellation and diplomacy, in the
nope to pacify the general discomfort OF the
Western Indian tribes at anything like British
occupation of their country. Hence. George
rCroghan, together with some white companions
and iroquois Delaware and Shawnee Indians az
deputies OF those tribes, having already made
peace with the American colonies and Great
Britain, sent westward Croshau was
old trader, personally and we'll known to the lead
Ing Indians at Vincennes, Oniatenon. Eel river.
Fort Wayne and elsewhere throughout the Wa
Dash country. lie was also veteran In all the
arts of Indian diplomacy aud we'll knew how to
awe, Halter or cajole these hayward children OF
che forest, and had already conducted many inn
portant treaties between the authorities
of New York and Pennsylvania. and the Della
ware. the lroquois and Shawnees. He had lost
heavily In the wars then but lately closed, the
French having captured his traders. confscated
his goods and bankrnpted his fortune. He
therefore hated the French with all the hot
blood OF his Irish ancestry.
After concluding treaty with some Indians
at Fort Pitt, Croghan started down the Ohio.
May 10. 1865, with his whites and Indian depu-
tation and presents, loaded in two bateauX
His movements were observed by spies Of the
hostile tribes party of young braves,
recruited from the Kickapoo and Mascoutn viii
cages, situated across the Wabash, northeast
from Attica Ind, and below and quite near
Fort Ouiatenon, and numbering eighty warriors,
Croghens passage. He says they were Spirited
mp TO this act by the Frenchmen trading at
Ouiatenon. Be this as it may, this band at
tackled his camp SIX miles below the mouth Of
the Wabash, near the old Shawnees' town, at
daybreak on the 9th of June. killed two of his
white men, three of his Indians, wounded
all the rest, himself included, took all the rest
of his rarty prisoners, except two white men
and one Indian, and pluEdered the whole OF
everything they had"
Croghan and his associates were conducted
devious course, up the borders of the Wabash,
through tangled forests, marshes and small
Drairies to Vincennes. Here he found a viii
Iage of about eighty ninety French families,
aetted the east side OF the river, being one of
the finest situations that can be found" These
French, he says. took secret pleasure at our
mlsf0rtunes."
Horses were procured the river was crossed,
and Croghan and his friends, still in charge of
their captors, crossed the Wabash and proceeded
northward, in eastern illinois, through the pres
9nt counties of Crawford, Clark Edgar and
Vermillion, following the old trail running along
Che divide between the Embarras river and the
Wabash, and which was a part of the great
highway leading from Detroit to Kaskaskia
This pathway. from the time of the
earliest English settlements in Indi
ana and Illinois, was known as 'The
old Vincennes trace" "It was" says Governor
Reynolds. in 1852 in his Pioneer History of
Illinois" .. 70, celebrated in Illinois. The In
dians laid it out more than $50 years ago. It
commenced at Detroit, thence to Ouiatenon and
Vincennes. and from there to Kaskaskia It
was the Appian way of Illinois in ancient times
1t Is yet, in 1852, visible in many places between
Kaskaskia and Vincennes" and the writer of
this adds that Ii was also plain to be seen in
many places Oh the route through the counties
named, and between the Vermillion river, near
Danville. and northeasterly through Warren
county, Indiana, in the direction of Ouiatenon,
long after the white settlements in these Dor
lions of the Wabash valley had become fully es-
tablished
Coming up from Vincennes. and from the 18th
to the 22d Of June, 1865, Crophan passed
Through prodigous meadows, being the ''bunt-
fairgrounds of the Piankeshaws. on Vermillion
river; here no woods are to be seen and the
country appears Ike an ocean; the ground is ex.
ceedingly rich, and partly overgrown with wild
hemp; the land is well watered, and full
of buffalo, deer, bear and all kinds of wild game
OF any time, in half an hour, we could kill as
much as we a party OF hundred and twenty
ave or more wanted" 1--WE passed through a
part Of the Same meadow mentioned yester-
day then came to a high woodland, and arrived
at Vermllion river, socalled from fine red
earth found here by the Indians with which they
paint themselves. About half mile from the
place where crossed this river there is vii
lage Of Pankeshawa, distinguished by the name
of the river. We then travelled some three hours
through clear, high woody country and came
to a meadow where we encamped"-northwest OF
State Line City.
early on the Odd set out through fine
meadow, then sonae open woods, and in the aft
bash"-above Attica-'' within six miles Of
Ouiateron.' Here Croghan 'met the severa
chiefs OF the Kickapoos and Mascoutins, WHIT
spoke to their Young men who had taken u!
and reprimanded them severely for what they
had done to me, after which they returned Will
rs to their village, and delivered US to all the
chiefs"
''The distance from Post Vincennes to Ouia
tenon is two hundred and ten miles. Abou
fourteen French families living in the for
which stands the north side of the river
The Kickapoos and Mascoutins whose warrior
had taken US. live nigh the fort. on the sam
side of the river, where they have two villages
and the Ouiatenons hEye q village on the sout
side of the river. On our arrival at this pos!
several Ouiatenons with whom l had bee
formerly acquainted, came to visit me, an
seemed greatly concerned at what had haL
pened.' etc.
The journal of Croehan continues: ''On tn
north side the printed text enormously say
south siel of the Wabash runs a big bank, i
which several coal mines; and behind thi
bank Ito the north and west is very larg
and beautiful meadow, clear for several miles,
etc.
This description corresponds quite we'll wit
that of the French officer written in Ills
and the two agree with the description
Of "Black Rock" given by Prof. job
Golett in his report on the geology of Ware
county Geological Survey of Indiana for 1875
pp. 224-5l and is situated some four miles abov
Independence, on the west side of the river 81
is" quoting from the geological report "a nots
able and romantic feature in the river scenery
A PERCEPTIONS overhanging cliff exhibits a
almost sheer descent of hundred and fort
feet to the Wabash at its foot. The top is con
posed Of yellow, red, brown or black conglon
crate sand rock, highly ferruginous At tn
base OF the sand rock, where 1t joins tn
underlying carbonaceous and pyritous shale
are pot rock houses which constant
accompany this formation IN southern Indiana
etc The writer hereof will add that when tf
geologist gave the above description he did
strictly in the line of his professional examn
ton, without reference to the Identification
an historic spot
There is no other place along the Wabas
that will answer the requirements of the thr,
several official accounts, made at widely dife
dates tttlack Rnckr fills the details